Wednesday, January 18, 2023
Tuesday, January 17, 2023
Eli Whitney's Revenge
Whitney was on to a more lucrative venture altogether. Starting in 1798, having come to terms with the fact that little money would come to him from the cotton gin, he had turned his attention to weapons. With his skill in manufacturing and fame as inventor of the cotton gin, he received an initial order for ten thousand muskets for $134,000 from the US government. His long-awaited fortune eventually came from guns. In doing so, Whitney set the stage for the Connecticut River Valley to become a leader in arms manufacturing, a competitive advantage for the North that poetically would be felt by South Carolina and Georgia decades later.
Really enjoying this book which looks at American history through the lense of capitalism and what the economic motives of the times were.
Tuesday Flotsam and Jetsam
Have a new miscellaneous thoughts and observations post up on Substack.
When I find myself in times of trouble I ask, "What would Pete Buttigieg do in my situation?" and things immediately get 50% worse. If anything you read made you think or smile - please Subscribe, hit the Like button, or share with others. Thanks!
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.
- Interesting look at Teslas's price cuts and what it means for the EV marketplace
- If NASA captured this asteroid everyone on Earth could get $93 billion. Or we might be able to pay off our National debt
- Interesting profile of Tyler Cowen. He may read as many as 5 books a night but doesn't drink coffee or alcohol. I prefer to savor my reading over coffee or a cold beer. May not read as much but that's just fine by me.
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"When the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the loser." - Socrates
"I really believe that normal people are only capable of accomplishing normal things. I don't know that I ever had a great player that was normal." - John Madden
"You can get to about the 90th percentile in your field by working either smart or hard, which is still a great accomplishment. But getting to the 99th percentile requires both - you will be competing with other very talented people who will have great ideas and be willing to work a lot." - Sam Altman
"Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake." - Napoleon Bonaparte
It Doesn't Count if You Don't Do It
Other ways to put this:
"It doesn't count if you don't do it." - Doug Stanhope
"Vision without execution is hallucination." - Walter Isaacson author Leonardo Da Vinci
Monday, January 16, 2023
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.
- What "Impossible" meant to Richard Feynman.
- Reportedly Jeff Bezos did not submit a bid for the Washington Commanders. More interesting is the idea that its because Dan Snyder will not sell to Bezos because of the way the Washington Post has treated him.
- How can we trust the institutions that lied about Covid? The answer is - you can't and you shouldn't ever again.
North Dallas Forty
Just after the passing of Mac Davis, I too rewatched North Dallas Forty and was surprised how well it holds up. It really does give a good insight into the dynamics of the league works. The drugs, the contracts, the special status, everything.
What surprised me upon rewatching the movie after a couple of decades was my own perspective. As a young man I would have thought nothing of taking painkillers in order to keep playing the game and the opportunity to "get knee deep in a pile" at an orgy from time to time. Thought it was unfair the team used evidence of Phil smoking pot in order to kick him off the team. As a mature adult - I finally understood that Phil (Nick Nolte's character) was cut from the team for sleeping with the owner's brother's fiancée. You can't do that.
North Dallas Forty is worth a rewatch if you get the chance.
Quotes for Today
Some quotes that I hope may resonate with you.
"I have as much authority as the Pope. I just don't have as many people who believe it." - George Carlin
"Do one thing today that makes tomorrow easier. Repeat." - Shane Parrish
"But I will accept any rules you feel necessary for your freedom. I am free, no matter what rules surround me. If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them, if I find them too obnoxious, I break them. I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do." - Robert Heinlein
"Let me give you a wonderful Zen practice. Wake up in the morning, go to the bathroom, pee, brush your teeth, look in the mirror, and laugh at yourself. Do it every morning to start off the day, as a practice." - Bernie Glassman
Sunday, January 15, 2023
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.
- I could watch Larry Bird highlights for hours.
- Very cool - Sir Anthony Hopkins letter to Bryan Cranston after Hopkins finished binge watching Breaking Bad
- That's because Congress exempted themselves from vaccine mandates
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"But when we repeat 1 percent errors, day after day, by replicating poor decisions, duplicating tiny mistakes, and rationalizing little excuses, our small choices compound into toxic results." - James Clear
"The future is here. It's just not widely distributed yet." - William Gibson
"I went to the doctor and told him 'my penis was burning.' He said, 'that just means someone is talking about it.'" - Gary Shandling
"I found that if you love life, life will love you back." - Arthur Rubinstein
Saturday, January 14, 2023
Saturday Flotsam and Jetsam
Have a new miscellaneous thoughts and observations post up on Substack.
Hope you all have a great Saturday. Please Subscribe, hit the Like button, and share the link with others. Appreciate you.
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Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"My interest is in the future because I am going to spend the rest of my life there." - Charles Kettering
"Feedback is a gift, but most people don't know how to unwrap it." - Angela Duckworth
"By all means, marry. If you get a good wife, you'll become happy. If you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher." - Socrates
"Every word has consequences. Every silence too." - Jean Paul Sartre
Friday, January 13, 2023
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.
- Former employees sue ESPN after being fired for Covid vaccine refusal. Know who I'm rooting for in this case
- The Orwellian evolution of the changing of the language.
- One good thing to come out of the War in Ukraine - the European Union now imports more energy from the US than from Russia
100 Greatest Boston Sports Players by Uniform Number
Didn't do much analysis of the choices but three jumped out at me as being 100% wrong:
- 18 should be Dave Cowens - no doubt
- 22 should be Doug Flutie's Boston College jersey - legendary
- 39 should be Mike Greenwell. Saltilamaccia? Come on man.
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"I decided that I would make my life my argument." - Albert Schweitzer
"If you have everything under control, you're not moving fast enough." - Mario Andretti
"Victory comes from finding opportunities in problems." - Sun Tzu
"The ones who thrive long term are those who understood the real world is a neverending chain of absurdity, confusions, messy relationships, and imperfect people." - Morgan Housel
Thursday, January 12, 2023
More Linky Links
More stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.
- Matt Ridley - the world's getting greener, cleaner, healthier, and richer in wildlife. Anyone saying otherwise is pushing propaganda.
- Heh Heh
- Lee Zeldin has some proposals for fixing New York. But New York is too much of a mess. Gerald Ford was right.
- Tesla tops BMW to become the top selling luxury car in the US
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.
- Never knew this. If they did choose Raquel there never would have been a Ginger vs Maryanne argument. It would have been as one sided as Georgia vs TCU.
- The Pats do need to make some changes to their coaching staff.
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"I begin to speak only when I'm certain what I'll say isn't better left unsaid." - Cato
"How is it that American democracy is held as sacred, when most immigrants come here first to participate in its capitalism?"- Bhu Srinivasan
"It is difficult to say what is impossible, for the dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow." - Robert Goddard
"Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become." - James Clear
Wednesday, January 11, 2023
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.
- The list of 1300 side effects of the Covid vaccines (from Pfizer's own documents). The vaccines were never "safe and effective."
- Wow - John Foster Dulles offered France a pair of tactical nuclear weapons for use at Dien Bien Phu. (Via)
- Shedding Innocence - a worthwhile article by Dr. Robert Malone. In my opinion, Dr. Malone is both a hero and martyr of the Covid pandemic.
- Lawsuit by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and others charges legacy media and tech companies with Antitrust and First Amendment claims for censoring Covid related content. On the surface, the suit filed in Texas has a lot of antitrust merit. Will be interesting to see the case unfold.
Wednesday Flotsam and Jetsam
Have a new miscellaneous thoughts and observations post up on Substack.
My wife, Morgan Fairchild, who I sleep with! Please Subscribe, hit the Like button, and share with others.
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"Living deliberately is about awareness and purposeful action. If we take the necessary steps to craft each day deliberately, when our final day arrives we'll be able to look back at a life brimming with joy, fulfillment and satisfaction." - Shane Parrish
"And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition, they somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary." - Steve Jobs
"The Constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself." - Benjamin Franklin
"Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time." - Steven Wright
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Tuesday, January 10, 2023
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.
- Might be an awful person for laughing at this (but laugh I did)
- Botswana is such a great success story. It should be taught in schools.
- 100 Tips for a Better Life. From the archives but worth another read to remind yourself of some of these tips although he was 100% wrong on Vitamin D.
Twitter Files: Pfizer and White House Coordinated Information Suppression
Alex Berenson has a new Twitter Files up showing the coordination between Pfizer board member Scott Gottlieb and the White House. The company selling mRNA shots and the White House forcing Americans get get them - repeatedly.
Denying natural immunity is not "following the science." It's propaganda - for profit.
Kudos to Alex Berenson who went from being banned on Twitter for telling the truth to being part of The Twitter Files (also for reporting the truth).
In a related story - Twitter is now the number one app on the Apple Store for US news. Elon Musk is making Twitter the place to go to get news (not spin).
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"First generation millionaires give us libraries, second generation millionaires give us themselves."- Gary Wills
"Everything is theoretically impossible, until it is done." - Robert A. Heinlein
"You despise in others the worst parts of yourself." - Shane Parrish
"In the beginning, the universe was created. This has made a lot of people angry, and been widely regarded as a bad move." - Douglas Adams
Monday, January 09, 2023
Monday Flotsam and Jetsam
Have a new miscellaneous thoughts and observations post up on Substack.
Some people wonder why I don't publish betting advice. This year not a single one of my NFL pre-season over/under bets hit this season. That's why. Please help brighten my day by Subscribing (it's FREE), hitting the Like button, or sharing with others. Thank you for your support.
Jordan Peterson Isn't on Trial - Freedom of Speech Is
Peterson asks in a letter to Justin Trudeau, "What exactly have I done that is so seriously unprofessional that I am now in danger not only to any new potential clients but to the public itself?" The answer is clear, Peterson spoke the truth as he saw it instead of toeing the Trudeau Administration and Woke Culture company lines. And they wish to punish and silence him for that.
Only they are amplifying his signal instead! I'm on Team Peterson 100%!
Alan Watts
Alan Watts passed away in 1973 but before he died he tried to warn us. (Via Douglas Bottom)
Find Something Beautiful Today
Van Gogh's Starry Night remade using the first image from the James Webb Space Telescope. (Photo via) Headline
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"Study hard what interests you the most in the most undisciplined, irreverent and original manner possible." - Richard Feynman
"Don't hope that events will turn out the way you want, welcome events in whichever way they happen: this is the path to peace." - Epictetus
"Many times an old man has no other evidence besides his age to prove he lived a long time." - Seneca
"Success, however you define it, is achievable if you collect the right field-tested beliefs and habits." - Tim Ferriss
Sunday, January 08, 2023
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.
- MIT team solves the riddle of why Roman concrete was so durable
- The CDC hired the same PR firm as Pfizer and Moderna. Sure there was no effort to coordinate the public messaging on vaccines.
The Metabolic Benefits of Zone 2 Exercise
Exercise that's "easy", but not too easy, can improve your fitness and metabolic health. Excellent, informative article.
Big believer in 75-80% effort over a longer period for activities like hiking, swimming, and biking coupled with resistance/weigh training.
"To really see the benefits of exercise, we need to find something that we can do for a long period, week after week, month after month." That's why it's so important to find exercises you enjoy doing.
Batman on Economics
Dick Grayson: "Gosh, Economics is sure a dull subject."
Bruce Wayne: "Oh, you must be jesting, Dick. Economics dull? The glamour, the romance of commerce... Hmm... It's the very lifeblood of our country's society."
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"Motivation gets you going, but discipline keeps you growing. That's the Law of Consistency. It doesn't matter how talented you are. It doesn't matter how many opportunities you receive. If you want to grow, consistency is key." - John C. Maxwell
"Today's rain is tomorrow's whiskey." - Scottish Proverb
"I drink to make other people more interesting." - Ernest Hemingway
"When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be." - Lao Tzu
The Man Who Bought Stonehenge
Stonehenge, advertised in 1915, was bought for £660 by a man called Cecil Chubb who, mistakenly thinking his wife might like it as a gift, ended up giving it to the nation.
One of the cool nuggets found in this article on 125 years of property sold through Country Life (a publication I was unaware of but take is big in England).
Saturday, January 07, 2023
Damar Hamlin's Collapse & The Inevitable mRNA Vaccine Questions
The above is a graph showing the causes of death for 64 NCAA athletes who died of cardiac arrest while playing sports from the article. Just 2% were due to commotio cordis with a larger slice of the pie (9%) were caused by myocarditis. Of course that doesn't show it wasn't commotio cordis or that it was myocarditis but it does illustrate those two causes make up just 11% of the causes of death shown from these 64 autopsies. Meaning there's many other causes that also need to be considered. No need to rush to blame one thing over another without the facts being known.
Also found this observation interesting because I was thinking the NFL or individual teams may move in this direction:
Proponents of adding an echocardiogram - or even cardiac MRI - to the standard Combine testing will arise; but that will add a litany of false positives threatening player's careers with the upside of preventing a death or two per century.
According to the current data that's how rare thee events are. Of course I would also add that all 64 of those autopsies were made pre-mRNA shots so we should be keeping our eyes and minds open to new data.
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.
- Leo Szilard forecasting in 1948 what science would be like in the US in the future. Nailed it!
- Interesting question - does the world have enough lithium to move to electric vehicles? Interesting answer too!
- Tyler Cowen's reading plans for the first half of 2023. Cowen seriously reads more than any human I've ever heard of.
- Think everyone would benefit from listening to this interview of Brett Weinstein by Joe Rogan. Do yourself a favor and make the time to listen to it.
Saturday Flotsam and Jetsam
Have a new miscellaneous thoughts and observations post up on Substack.
Barry Manilow wrote the old State Farm jingle, "Like a good neighbor State Farm is there." Well I'm also a good neighbor and hopefully I'm here to make you think or smile with today's miscellaneous thoughts. As always please Subscribe, hit the Like button, and share with others. Enjoy the weekend!
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"Life is the gift of the immortal gods... Living well is the gift of philosophy." - Seneca
"Time magnifies the margin between success and failure. It will multiply whatever you feed it. Good habits make time your ally. Bad habits make time your enemy." - James Clear
"Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them." - Marcus Aurelius
"When someone publicly mocks someone else's reading choices, assume by default that their motive is to display their own sophistication." - Paul Graham
Friday, January 06, 2023
Farnam Street Knowledge
The Generalized Specialist: How Shakespeare, Da Vinci, and Kepler Excelled.
I prefer trying to be more like the fox than the hedgehog. I find it more interesting.
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.
- Cool - the most valuable brands from 2000-2022 animated.
- 10 ways to have a better conversation
- Morgan Housel on justifying optimism.
- Very good summation of how the government used Twitter to ban scientific debate on Covid that contradicted official CDC policy. Replacing science with policy and stifling debate will have lasting effects for decades.
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"You are what you do, not what you say you'll do." - Carl Jung
"There are some ideas so absurd that only an intellectual could believe them." - George Orwell
"I play by the house rules. Period. If I don't like your rules? I don't come to your house." - Anthony Bourdain
"Life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you respond to it." - Louis Holtz
Thursday, January 05, 2023
Why are the Mostly "Jabbed" High Income Counties Hardest Hit?
For the 6.7 billion people (85% of the world) who don't live in High Income nations, covid stopped killing people around March 31, 2022. (Via)I'm reminded of the question of why there wasn't an epidemic of dead homeless littering the streets during the pandemic. Why are poor mostly unvaccinated countries doing better than the High Income mostly "jabbed" countries? In your heart you know the answer.
More Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.
- Can you launch a paper airplane from space that won't burn up on re-entry?
- Adam Vinatieri - WTF? We've all seen linemen who slimmed way down after retiring. Who knew kickers bulked up like this after hanging up their cleats?
- Red Sox sign Raffy Devers to an 11-year $331 million contract. For many Boston fans though it is too little too late.
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.
- McDonald's cheeseburger versus hydrochloric acid. I may never eat another McDonald's hamburger again.
- They are coming after Jordan Peterson in Canada. I'm 100% on team Peterson on this!
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"Science begins with a vision. Scientific thought is fed by the capacity to 'see' things differently than they have previously been seen." - Carlo Rovelli
"Your task, Romans, will be to govern the peoples of the world in your empire. These will be your arts - to impose a settled pattern upon peace, to pardon the defeated and to battle down the proud." - Virgil
"Some things are hurrying into existence, and others are hurrying out of it." - Marcus Aurelius
"You're just mad you can't date me." - Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Wednesday, January 04, 2023
The Global Emancipation of the Unvaccinated
Interesting post documenting the many ways governments and others used lockdowns, vaccine mandates and outright coercion to try to implement their goals. The post begins by wondering if this coercion was in violation of the Nuremberg Code of 1947:
Many an article points out that the [Nuremberg] Code states that, as regards any experimental medical treatment, "the voluntary consent of the the human subject is absolutely essential... without the intervention of any element of force, fraud, deceit, duress, over-reaching, or other ulterior form of constraint or coercion."
It should be mentioned that the vaccines in the US were all experimental as the one vaccine to be FDA approved was never released for public use. And certainly there was an abundance of fraud and deceit.
In light of the many healthy athletes around the globe who have started to suddenly collapse, this paragraph also seems relevant:
The violation of informed consent - specifically, the failure of public health authorities to adequately warn of the risk of myocarditis in young males - and to accurately represent the relatively miniscule threat posed to them by COVID-19 - remains a pressing concern as the vaccine mandates haven't been entirely abolished in the West.
Question is - will people be held accountable?
Wednesday Flotsam and Jetsam
Have a new miscellaneous thoughts and observations post up on Substack.
Thoughts and prayers also going out to all the folks whose Fantasy Football championship are all up in the air or in chaos because of Monday's suspended game. Hoping you all have proper perspective on the situation and on what's really important. Please subscribe, hit the Like button, or share with others.
EDIT: Aaron Rodgers has commented on Damar Hamlin and it was a thoughtful response.
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves." - Abraham Lincoln
"When science becomes big, it stops being science." - Peter Thiel
"It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop." - Confucius
"I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, "If this isn't nice, I don't know what is." - Kurt Vonnegut
Tuesday, January 03, 2023
Lex Friedman's Reading List
Lex Fridman posted his desired upcoming reading list for the start of the year (he's hoping to read a book a week for all of 2023) and he was much derided for it. Some thought it was too basic or high schoolish. But Lex explained than many of the books on the list he'd be re-reading. Here's the list:
I've read 13 of the 22 books listed and another 2 I started but put down because I just didn't like the books (The Stranger by Camus and On the Road by Kerouac). Many of the books on the list I've read multiple times and had been planning to re-read Siddhartha again before this list was published. Hope to read Meditations and 2001: A Space Odyssey in 2023 - so obviously I have no problem with the list.
Do have an issue with the idea of "a book a week" since reading is not a contest or a race but I applaud Lex for putting his list out there and maybe encouraging others to do some more reading in 2023 then they did in 2022. That's my plan too!
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.
- I admit not sure if I ever heard of Francis Galton before.
- The amount of calories consumed on average has more than doubled over time. Obesity is a much bigger problem to modern society than famines.
Damar Hamlin
The latest reports I've seen are that Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest during last night's Bills-Bengals game and remains in critical condition. We are all pulling for Damar to make a quick and full recovery.
I believe in Bill James' "Something terrible has happened" approach to events like these. The only proper, responsible thing to do is to say "Something terrible has happened" and then wait for the details about what happened to come out.
Unfortunately we live in a society where the proper and responsible are now the exception rather than the rule. I watched this unfold while at local military affiliated bar and right away about 50% of the patrons were speculating on what could have caused this. I have my own suspicions but I'll wait for the facts to hopefully come out.
I don't blame people for speculating either. We live in a society where we have been consistently lied to by those in the media and those in charge. What were labeled conspiracy theories continue to be proven correct. How can people not but speculate when that's the case?
There is a large case of hypocrisy going on though that needs to be addressed. Some of the very same people who mercilessly made fun of Tim Tebow or others when they knelt in prayer are now asking for prayers for Damar Hamlin. Some of the very people who are at the front of the line offering "hot takes" on any and all news stories are now lambasting anyone who speculates on Damar Hamlin's vaccination status. Remember these hypocrites. If you watch, listen or read these people - stop. Deprive these people of the oxygen attention brings them.
That's the first step in helping make our society react properly and responsibly.
Meanwhile prayers for Damar Hamlin and his mom.
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"Even the smallest things ought to be directed toward a goal." - Marcus Aurelius
"If the path before you is clear, you're probably on someone else's." - Carl Jung
"Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom." - Aristotle
"Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance." - Eckhart Tolle
Monday, January 02, 2023
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.
- This road trip is on my bucket list.
- Elon Musk is going after Anthony Fauci. Get your popcorn ready! Fauci Files may come out this week!
- What we can learn from Barnes & Noble's surprising turnaround.
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"The goddess, it would seem, plays for keeps." - Steven Pressfield
"Why is corporate journalism rushing to defend the state instead of the people?" - Elon Musk
"Take chances, make mistakes. That's how you grow. Pain nourishes your courage. You have to fail in order to practice being brave." - Mary Tyler Moore
"Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off once in a while, or the light won't come in." - Isaac Asimov
Sunday, January 01, 2023
Sunday Flotsam and Jetsam
Have new miscellaneous thoughts and observations post up on Substack.
Hope everyone had an excellent New Year's Eve. Feel free to start you New Year by Subscribing (it's Free!), hitting the Like button, or sharing with others. Greatly appreciated.
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"A great way to understand yourself is to seriously reflect on everything you find irritating in others." - Kevin Kelly
"The Constitution is greater than any President. End of story." - Elon Musk
"Your library is your paradise." - Desiderius Erasmus
"It is never too late to be what you might have been." - George Elliot
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